Michigan is the only state that lost jobs in the last year other than those hit by huge hurricanes.
Michigan has been hit by a hurricane, alright. A hurricane of gluttonous greed infected the state a long time ago.
The government is greedy. Tax. Tax. Tax. Detroit syphons money like a sieve yet despair reigns. Flint is even worse. Marshall Mathers, aka Eminem, wasn't lying about 8 Mile, I can assure you.
The unions are greedy. Used to years of inflated wages for deflated productivity, they just can't get their heads around the new world economy. Stuck in the seventies, they can't let go of the glory days where guys got paid for doing nothing for years. This kind of moral turpitude reaps results eventually. The results? Jobs moving to where wages are more reasonable (and before anyone screeches about all the manufacturing overseas I'd like to point out the plants in Tennessee and Georgia) and the environment is more business friendly. Far from the sky falling in on the Southern states enjoying the Michigan expats, the people are enjoying a better standard of living with less cost of living.
The people are greedy. Used to someone taking care of them: big government, big corporation and big unions, people feel entitled to jobs without working, unemployment indefinitely, and bankrupting pensions.
Michigan is a mess. I have friends who do business there. They work twice as hard for half as much. Fortunately, they don't know what they're missing. They would be more depressed than the gray, endless winters make them.
Some still really love Michigan. And there is lots to love. Michigan is one of the best hunting states. It has tremendous natural beauty. In fact, one of my favorite places to vacation in the whole world is up North on Lake Michigan by the most gorgeous white sand dunes you've ever seen.
But Michigan is dying and it is uncertain whether it can be saved.
I love Michigan ( shhh- don't tell my fellow Buckeyes) but, this post, and the linked "Sick Man.." by Lowry was right on and an eye-opener. Thanks for bringing it to attention and giving a great analytic review of the situation.
ReplyDeleteCriticism doesn't take into account the real history of the automobile business. Back in the 30s when unions tried to organize the plants they were met with hired thugs with lead pipes and knives. Those companies fought them tooth and nail, some of the guys got killed, many got their heads busted, but the workers prevailed over management we would regard as criminal today. The entire workforce carried that anger and bitterness forward through the fifties and sixties and regarded every strike as a continuation of "the battle." Well they "won" but didn't know it and the resulting welfare state within a capitalist society may end up closing all the American car companies. I have no idea how this rampaging bull can be tranquilized, the workers ain't about to give up what they have "won" and an equally brain dead management won't give up their insane life styles.
ReplyDeleteHoward,
ReplyDeleteAs for crazy executive pay, GM CEO makes considerably less than other CEOs. Still a lot by anyone's standards. Read more here. And, unlike other execs his pay is tied to performance. He lost http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060429/AUTO01/604290350/1148/rss2550% >of his pay in 2005 due to the downturn.
That may seem unfair, but in GM's case, at least, union guys can't say that he's rewarding himself no matter what.